[elliotknell]

Originally Posted by BlueMac

I'm going into 8th grade, and, while I would like computers to be more effective the classroom, I don't believe that technology should take over conventional teaching practices. The teachers get benefits and get paid well. Technology should not take over that job. And while it may be helping "save trees", it sure means a lot more money goes into the laptops, if they are Macbooks, which are about $2000, and each student in the grade gets one, and there are about 80 students in the grade, then that is $160,000. And obviously, that money comes from the taxpayers paying property tax, and while there may be some benefits, the downsides give much to worry about. What if something happens to the computers? What is they all get infected? Is the school going to pay more money to get new ones or repair them? And what about the teachers? They will have to write quizzes now, and, since they are accustomed to not writing quizzes test exams etc, will it be of good quality?

I don't think school systems are ready to do this.

In case you are unaware, Macbooks rarely get "infected", and if they went so far as to abandon textbooks (very expensive) for digital copies, it may not be such a loss as you would think. Also, for the matter of them breaking... *cough* extended applecare warranty *cough*